Books for Writers, Freelancers, and Business Owners

People often ask us what books and resources we recommend – because we read a lot. Here’s our shortlist of favorites that got 5 glowing stars and a big tip of the hat for excellent advice on copywriting, marketing, creativity, storytelling, branding and everything in between. .

Influence, Persuasion and Engagement

The Secret Language of InfluenceThe Secret Language of Influence teaches you how to use language to influence, persuade and convince more people to say yes. You’ll learn what to say to potential clients, how to say it so they agree, and why it works so well. Then sit back and watch your sales grow.

Savvy marketing entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den expert Arlene Dickinson explains how to persuade people in an ethical, natural way that’s on board with good values. You’ll gain a fresh perspective of marketing from Persuasion: A New Approach to Changing Minds, and be set to attract customers with class.

The bible that should be on every copywriter and marketer’s bookshelf, Influence by Robert Cialdini is packed full of smart consumer and sales psychology that gives clear insight on how potential customers think, what they need to hear from you and how to create a persuasive message that convinces them you’re awesome.

Freelancing, Business and Entrepreneurship

Ever wonder whether or not you should launch that product? Start that business? Raise your rates? Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by the Heath Brothers will change the way you make decisions in your career – and in your life. A special favorite we *loved*, this book is a must-read for any entrepreneur.

Laura Vanderkam is a favorite author of mine, and she changed my life with her book 168 Hours: You have more time than you think.You can read a review here, but take it from me: after reading this book, you’ll never look at time the same way again.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al Ries and Laura Ries. Just about everything you need to know to brand your business in a way that stands out from the competition and gets clients bursting through your doors.

Rework by Jason Fried. This easy read teaches you better, smarter, easier ways to reach your entrepreneurial goals. Open it at any page to get a straightforward, no-fluff, bite-sized piece of worthwhile (and damn smart) advice that helps you succeed. We loved it, hands down.

This book gives you so much more than a how-to guide on managing your time. Dan Kennedy’s No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs is the kick in the arse you need to value every minute of your day and know it’s worth its weight in gold. You’ll stop putting in more hours for less pay, stand up for what you’re worth and shed time-sucking obligations that leave you feeling burnt out and poor.

A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech. Discover cool tricks, tips and advice on unleashing your creative genius. Packed full of cool exercises and smart techniques that get your creativity flowing (and your productivity going), you’ll be ready to smash out that next blog post and make it a win.

Chris Guillebeau knocked it out of the park with The $100 Startup, a practical and useful guide on how you can start your micro-business with next to nothing and grow it into a successful empire. An inspiring book that contains compelling stories and intriguing examples, it’s a well-written read we recommend.

Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. These guys took viral storytelling to the max and they teach you how to bring stories into your business so you can convince, compel and engage your prospects.

Wired for Story by Lisa Cron is the perfect book to understand how fiction affects your brain and how writers can use this information to their advantage.

When you write for a living, you need time and space to produce the words. Kelly Stone put together one of the best resources I’ve ever read. It’s called Time to Write, and it’ll help you carve hours out of your week. Happy writing!

Short, sweet and like a bullet of advice to the head, Stephen Pressfield takes creative blocks to battle in The War of Art. Everyone who has ever struggled with writer’s block needs to get a copy of this.

A master of writing chilling words and penning bestseller books, Stephen King lays out the craft in On Writing. A must for those who enjoy creative fiction and descriptive language. No adverbs, please!

Natalie Goldberg teaches you how to get real about your writing in Writing Down the Bones. If you get stuck, jammed up and suffer from writer’s block, you’ll enjoy finally finding your release!

Available in both Mac and PC versions, Scrivener is a world class approach to writing novels, screenplays or any other type of document, allowing you to keep all your writing and research in one place.

The best writing course for businesspeople, Damn Fine Words provides you with a wash, rinse, repeat writing system you can use for any type of content you need to create for your business. This 10-week course comes complete, and you’ll finish it with clear evidence you’re a better, faster, more confident writer… one who knows how to get results from words.

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